If you've been struggling to find the free time on top of your busy schedule to stay active in the recent months, then the chances are you've seen some expansion around your waistline. While fad diets can be a short-term solution to a long-term lifestyle problem, the real results come from making small and realistic changes to your behavior.

If you want to get the perfect hourglass figure, or shave some extra pounds off your silhouette, the following tips for a tiny waist should be able to help.

1.    Take Your Waist Seriously

If your waist is bigger than your hips, you have more to worry about than what you're going to look like in your new bikini. Research suggests that abdominal fat leads to a greater risk of suffering from conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.

Don't just look down at your bulging waistband and feel helpless, make a choice to take action with tips for a tiny waist. Studies have found that losing even 5-10% of your overall body weight could be enough to lower your risk factors for various chronic diseases.

2.    Feel the Burn

Avoiding fast food and meals that are high in saturated fats and calories will help you to maintain a healthy weight - but it won't do much to get rid of extra pounds that might have already accumulated around your midsection. If you want to sculpt the perfect body, then you're going to have to exercise regularly and start sweating away those unwanted inches.

Strapping on a waist-trimmer belt during your workout will help to focus the body heat around your core to burn calories quicker. What's more, these unique accessories support lumbar function and keep your posture in place during exercise routines - so you're less likely to suffer from an injury.

3.    Eat Little and Often

Maintaining a schedule of regular meals is important, but drinking a glass of water before every meal and grabbing healthy snacks in-between meals can be a great way to take the edge off your hunger and reduce your chances of binge-eating when lunchtime finally arrives.

Plan out portion-controlled snacks and meals, while down-sizing your plates. This will help you to feel satisfied for longer, while enjoying your meals without that added urge to over-indulge. Remember when it comes to tips for a tiny waist- at least half of your plate for bigger meals should be filled with fruit, vegetables, or salad.

4.    Rework Your Routine

Finally, take the time to look at how you spend the majority of your days. If you drive to work every morning to sit in front of a computer for eight hours, then drive home to sit in front of the television, you're not going to lose weight any time soon.

Get into the habit of weaving simple activities and exercises into your daily routine wherever possible. For instance, get up and walk around the office every couple of hours to make sure that you're not sitting still for too long. Park further away from work so that you have to walk to and from your car at the beginning and end of the day. Even the simplest changes can make a huge difference to the way that you look, and feel.